Hisbah nabs Jigawa commissioner with married woman (DailyTrust)
Operatives of the Kano State Hisbah command have arrested Auwal Danladi Sankaraa, Commissioner of Special Duties, in Jigawa State for allegedly committing adultery.
The Kano State Hisbah Board on Friday confirmed the arrest and detention of Sankaraa, saying he would be charged to court on Monday.
According to Hisbah Director General, Abba Sufi, the commissioner was found with Tasleem Baba Nabegu, who is married with two kids. Read more
Police arrest kidnap suspect in Abuja after fierce gun battle (Tribune)
Operatives of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command have arrested a suspected kidnapper after a fierce gun battle.
A gang of kidnappers had invaded an estate in the Kubwa area of the FCT in the early hours of Friday upon encountering the police, they opened fire and fled into a nearby swamp.
It was gathered that the police pursued the kidnappers, apprehending one of them and recovering a vehicle belonging to the gang. Read more
Lagos council chairmen oppose bill to scrap 37 LCDAs (Vanguard)
Lagos council chairmen, under the aegis of Conference 57, have urged the Lagos State House of Assembly to reconsider the creation of Area Adminstrative Councils in replacement of Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in the proposed Local Government Administration Bill.
The General Secretary of Conference 57, Mr Rasaq Ajala, made the call in an interview with News on Friday on the sidelines of a public hearing organised by the Assembly in Ikeja.
NAN reports that the bill is titled: A Bill for a Law to provide for Local Government’s System, Establishment And Administration And to Consolidate All Laws On Local Government Administration And Connected Purposes.Read more
Lagos community decries rise in road accidents from illegal U-turns (Punch)
Motorists and residents along the Iyana-Iba to Egbeda area of Lagos State have raised concerns over the illegal U-turns made by some motorcycle and tricycle riders, who frequently bypass the designated turning points, opting instead to use the road median and pavements.
According to residents, the practice has led to multiple accidents and, in some cases, fatalities.
Our correspondent, who visited several areas along the route, observed that parts of the road median had been destroyed by the illegal turns. Read more
Lagos, FAAN collaborate to fix dilapidated airport road (Nation)
The Managing Director/Chief Executive of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mrs Olubunmi Kuku, has urged members of the public, especially road users around the Murtala Muhammed International Airport to demonstrate patience with the authority as it collaborates with the Lagos State Government to fix some operational roads within the airport area.
The project includes, the complete road reconstruction, drainages on both sides, sidewalks, and streetlights.
The entire project is expected to be delivered in nine months. Read more
AfDB to establish $100m investment bank for Nigerian youths (Channels)
The African Development Bank (AfDB) will establish a Youth Entrepreneurship Investment Bank for Nigeria which is part of its support for young people.
AfDB president Akinwunmi Adesina said this on Friday in Abuja while delivering a keynote address at the 90th Birthday Lecture of former Head of State Yakubu Gowon.
“I am delighted to announce here today that just three days ago, the African Development Bank’s board of directors approved $100m for the establishment of the Youth Entrepreneurship Investment Bank for Nigeria,” he said. Read more
Rivers: Fubara approves N85k minimum wage for civil servants (Tribune)
The Rivers State Government has approved a new minimum wage of N85,000 for civil servants in the state.
This development was announced by the Head of Service, George Nwaeke, following a closed-door meeting between Governor Siminalayi Fubara, labour leaders, and senior government officials.
Nwaeke confirmed that the implementation of the new minimum wage would take effect immediately. Read more
Kebbi college shut down indefinitely over students’ protest (DailyTrust)
Following the protest that erupted at the College of Health Sciences, Jega on Thursday, the Kebbi State Government has ordered the closure of the school till further notice.
The government also constituted a nine-man panel of enquiry headed by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry for Higher Education, Hussaini Abdullahi Suru.
Suru told journalists journalists on Friday that the the panel’s terms of reference was to identify the cause of the students’ protest, the gang leaders, the lecturers behind it, external forces and estimate the level of damage caused to the institution’s property. Read more
Shaibu offers N1m reward for information on looting in Obaseki administration (Punch)
THE reinstated deputy governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu, on Friday offered financial reward to the tune of N1million to anyone who has information concerning alleged looting of government property as the administration winds down.
Shaibu in a press briefing in Benin City on Friday said he has evidence to back the alleged looting in some quarters and last minute borrowing from financial institutions.
He also called on the Economic Financial Crimes Commission, the Department of State Services and other relevant agencies to look into the alleged misappropriation of funds meant for projects in the ministry of roads and bridges, ongoing Radisson Hotel project and last minute appointments by the outgoing administration. Read more
Olivia Rodrigo mistakenly asks siblings to kiss each other at Australia concert: ‘Never mind, scrap that!’ (People)
Kissing your sibling is a bad idea, right? (Yes.)
During Olivia Rodrigo’s Guts World Tour stop in Sydney, Australia, on Oct. 17, two attendees were filmed and displayed on a big screen in the arena, and the Grammy winner asked them to kiss each other — before finding out they’re brother and sister.
“You guys are so cute,” Rodrigo, 21, told the concertgoers, per footage on TikTok. “Hey, I have a really cute fun thing to ask. Would you guys give us a kiss on the Guts Cam?” Read more
Taylor Swift appears to wear Travis Kelce’s sweatshirt as she kicks off Eras Tour’s final leg without him (DailyMail)
Taylor Swift appears to have looked to boyfriend Travis Kelce for fashion assistance.
The 34-year-old pop star — whose friend Gigi Hadid recently used her go-to move — wore a yellow crew neck sweatshirt in her latest Instagram post, and fans noticed that it looks just like the one Kelce, 35, wore in an episode of his New Heights podcast.
The clip shared with her 283 million followers showed Taylor checking out the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, where she’s set to continue her Eras Tour on Friday night. Read more
Andrew Garfield talks to Elmo about missing his late mum and fans are emotional (People)
Andrew Garfield is having a heart-to-heart chat with Elmo about missing his late mother, Lynn, who died of pancreatic cancer in 2019.
In a video shared by the beloved Sesame Street muppet on Friday, Oct. 18, Elmo had an intimate conversation with the Amazing Spider-Man star, 41.
“Andrew? Hi, Elmo’s going around Sesame Street checking in on everybody, so Elmo wants to know how Andrew’s doing,” Elmo began. Read more
‘Phineas and Ferb’ revival cast, teaser art revealed for next year’s Disney return (Variety)
There’s 104 more days of summer vacation on the docket, as the long-awaited return of “Phineas and Ferb” gets closer to reality. Co-creators and exec producers Dan Povenmire and Jeff “Swampy” Marsh were set to share more information about the upcoming revival during a Thursday panel at New York Comic-Con — including a reveal of who else is returning from the original animated series cast.
Scheduled to join Povenmire and Marsh on the Comic-Con stage were Vincent Martella (who plays Phineas Flynn) and David Errigo Jr. (who took over as Ferb Fletcher in 2020 from original star Thomas Brodie-Sangster), the two namesakes of the series. Also back are Ashley Tisdale as Candace Flynn, Caroline Rhea as Linda Flynn-Fletcher, Dee Bradley Baker as Perry the Platypus and Alyson Stoner as Isabella Garcia-Shapiro. Povenmire, of course, voices Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz and Marsh is Major Francis Monogram. Disney also promises a guest cast lineup of “notable actors, musicians, athletes and more.” Read more
North Korean troops have arrived in Russia to fight Ukraine, says Seoul (IrishExaminer)
South Korea’s intelligence agency said on Friday that North Korea had dispatched troops to assist Russia in its war against Ukraine, a development that could intensify the standoff between North Korea and the west.
In a statement on its website, the National Intelligence Service (NIS) said Russian navy ships transferred 1,500 North Korean special operation forces to the port city of Vladivostok between 8 and 13 October who were now undergoing training.
“The North Korean soldiers … are expected to be deployed to the frontlines as soon as they complete their adaptation training,” the agency said, adding that more North Korean troops were expected to be sent to Russia soon. Read more
Robbie Williams shares final exchange with Liam Payne after ‘‘very similar’’ experience under spotlight (Independent)
Robbie Williams has shared his thoughts on the pressures of being under the spotlight as he paid tribute to the late One Direction singer Liam Payne.
The musician died from multiple traumatic injuries caused by falling from a third-floor balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and was pronounced dead at the scene after emergency services responded to a hotel manager’s call about a guest “under the influence of alcohol and drugs” who could “do something that could put his life at risk”. He was 31.
Williams, who rose to fame in the Nineties with boyband Take That and went on to mentor One Direction on X Factor, shared his final interaction with Payne – an email exchange from June 2022 that sees Williams giving the singer advice and telling him he is “proud” of him. Read more
‘‘How heroes die’’: Sinwar feted by some Gazans after IDF video shows his last moments (TimesOfIsrael)
For one Gazan father, Yahya Sinwar’s death in battle trying to beat back a drone with a stick was “how heroes die.” For others, it was an example for future generations even as some lamented the ruinous cost of the war he sparked with Israel.
Sinwar, the architect of Hamas’ deadly Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel that triggered the war in Gaza, was killed Wednesday by Israeli forces after a year-long manhunt, and his death was announced on Thursday.
A video of some of his final minutes, showing him masked and wounded in a shell-smashed apartment trying to hurl a stick at a drone filming him inspired pride among Palestinians. Read more
Libya Ordeal: Gusau vows to protect Nigeria’s dignity (Punch)
The president of the Nigeria Football Federation, Ibrahim Gusau, has vowed to fight with everything to protect the dignity of the country and the lives of the players.
The resolve comes on the maltreatment of Nigeria’s senior men’s national team by Libyan authorities during their trip to the country for the second leg of their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying Group D fixture against the Mediterranean Knights, only to be subjected to inhumane treatment upon arrival on Sunday.
In a video posted by the Eagles media team, the players and officials were left stranded with their luggage at the airport, with the Libyan airport officials indifferent to their plight and conversing in Arabic. Read more
CAF fixes date to decide on Super Eagles’ maltreatment in Libya (Leadership)
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has scheduled Tuesday, October 22, 2024, to decide on the botched 2025 AFCON qualifier between the Mediterranean Knights of Libya and Super Eagles of Nigeria in Benina CAF, who has referred the matter to their disciplinary board, will meet in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Libya were to have welcomed the Super Eagles last Tuesday night in Benina, near Benghazi, after both teams first clashed in Uyo in continuation of the 2023 AFCON qualifying series. But CAF postponed the Group D match after the Super Eagles were held hostage for over 20 hours at Al Abraq in Libya. Read more
Lionel Messi-led Inter Miami to get Club World Cup invite – sources (ABC)
Inter Miami is set to be announced as the final Major League Soccer participant for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, sources told ESPN.
Official announcement of the team’s involvement in the tournament is expected in the coming week.
The 2025 Club World Cup will feature 32 clubs from across the globe for the first time, after FIFA chose to expand the tournament from its previous seven-team format. World soccer’s governing body awarded 12 spots to Europe (UEFA), six to South America (CONEMBOL), four each to North America and the Caribbean (Concacaf), Asia (AFC) and Africa (CAF) and one to Oceania (OFC). Read more
Ex-Germany star who missed 2014 World Cup reveals 10-year health fight (DailyMail)
A former Germany star has revealed the 10-year struggle that they have been dealing with as a result of a surprise health battle.
The forward won 14 international caps with Germany, scoring four goals for Die Mannschaft, and played over 300 games in the Bundesliga for clubs such as Wolfsburg and Union Berlin.
Now retired, the 36-year-old has returned to the public eye as a participant in the German version of Big Brother, where one revelation earlier this week had already caught the headlines.
Verstappen takes US sprint pole with Norris fourth (BBC)
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen took pole for the sprint race at the United States Grand Prix, with title rival Lando Norris fourth in his McLaren.
Verstappen, who leads Norris by 52 points with six races to go, pipped Mercedes driver George Russell to pole position by 0.012 seconds in Austin.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was third fastest, 0.226secs slower than Verstappen, and Norris was 0.250secs off the pace in fourth.
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton was seventh, splitting the Haas drivers Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen. Read more
Mets extend season again, beat Dodgers to send NLCS back to LA for Game 6 (CBS)
Not easy to knock out these New York Mets.
Pete Alonso golfed an early three-run homer and the Mets hammered an ineffective Jack Flaherty, extending the National League Championship Series with a 12-6 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 5 on Friday.Starling Marte had three doubles, four hits and three RBIs for New York. Francisco Alvarez broke out of a slump with three hits — including an RBI single in a five-run third inning. Francisco Lindor and Jesse Winker each laced an RBI triple. Read more